Reel holder bracket and reel for embroidery machines



1952 J. SNARCK HAL 2,580,966

REEL HOLDER BRACKET AND REEL 7 FOR EMBROIDERY MACHINES Filed Feb. 15, 1945 2 SHEETS $HEET l INVENTOR JACK SNARCK BY 5 HENRY LASTER ATTORNEY Jan. 1,- 1952 SNARCK EIAL 2,580,966

J. REEL HOLDER BRACKET AND REEL FOR EMBROIDERY MACHINES Filed Feb. 15, 1945 2 SHEETS-SI-IEET 2 F g I I IIIII'III rqq - W? ii ATTORNEY essary, during unwinding operation of Patented Jan. 1, 1952 REEL HOLDER BRACKET AND REEL FOR EMBROIDERY MACHINES Jack Snarck, Washington Heights, and Henry Laster Bronx, N. Y. Application February 15, 1945, Serial No. 578,094

8 Claims. (Cl. 11298) This invention relates to improvements in reel holder brackets and reels for embroidery ma- ,chinery and particularly for Bonaz'embroidery machines.

In devices of the prior art, a conventional reel or spool composed of a cylinder and flanges is mounted in a bracket on a spindle fixed to one arm and extending into releasable engagement with .the other arm of the bracket, and a, regulatable screw-pressure is applied through such arms on the reel-cylinder through which the bracket spindle extends. The bracket arms have fiat thread-tensioning contact portions or surfaces extending parallel with the flanges of the spool, and said screw-pressure is applied through these fiat contact portions to an extension of the cylinder or to the flanges. These fiat contactportions or surfaces cannot be made to lie flatly against each other during a turning movement and sometimes washers of softer mat'erial are inserted therebetween. Notwithstanding this practice, there are always high spots and low spots between such flat contact surfaces of the bracket arms and the contact surfaces of the extension of the barrel .or or spool. This results in an uneven tensioning of .the reel and a consequent uneven fiow'of the thread during a single rotation of thecylinder or barrel of the reel. Furthermore in the normal unwinding operation of .a reel, the reel requires the applicationof varying degrees of tensioning because stress or pull of the thread by the stitching mechanism on the cylinder or barrel becomes proportionately greater as the thread is unwound from the cylinder, so that in prior art devices it has always heretofore been neca complete unwinding of thethread from the reel, to regulate the tension on the reel through spring pressure on the flanges a plurality and sometimes as many as four or five times during a single unloading or the thread from the reel. Obviously, in order to regulate such tension, the machine must be stopped to permit manipulation of the regulating member, and this results in the expenditure of considerable time and labor.

One of the objects of this invention is to avoid theexpenditure of time and labor heretofore necessary, as; aforesaid, in regulating the reel and to provide a device that may be initially regulated and will automatically. adjust itself to provide a. given amount of tension at' all times during the unwinding movement thereof ,to provide a consequent even flow of the thread cylinder of the reel during the unwinding of thread from such reel and notwithstanding the gradually increasing pull or stress of the thread as it unwinds from the reel which is due to the decrease in the radial distance between the peripheral surface of a full spool and a substantially unwound spool.

Another object of our invention is to provide for a pressure area between the reel and the bracket arms which will enable a given amount of tension to be applied to the reelat all times during a single rotation thereof and thus to permit an even flow during such a single r0"- tation.

. Still another object of our invention is to utilize a construction in which the area of tension contact is constant so as to avoid high spots and low spots therebetween and which will permit great accuracy of such contact and to combine such contacting members with regulating means so as to permit definite regulation of the tension of the reel. .Still another object of our invention is to utilize a mounting means between the reel and its bracket arms comprising a projecting ball and a conical socket into which said ball isfitted and to locate this pressure-applying bracket arm and reel socket at the axis of rotation of the reel whereby pressure applied through the bracket arm will be evenly and constantly applied on the reel through said conical socket. Y

Still another object of our invention is to utilize constant tension contact devices and regulating means to regulate-a portion of the unwinding movement of the reel and to combine therewith a spring tension means for tensioning another portion and preferably the balance of the unwinding movement of the reel so that a reel may be initially regulated to provide the proper tension during a portion and preferably about a one-third portion of the entire unwinding movement of the reel and to apply a spring tensioning element for applying additional complemental tensioning pressure during the balance of the movement of the reel, whereby a single regulation of the reel only will be required during an entire unloading movement thereof, thus saving a large amount of time and labor heretofore necessarily expended, as aforesaid i Still another object of our invention is to pro vide a reel bracket and reel in which a reel may be changed or renewed without a new regulating movement thereof as was always necessary in prior art reels.

Another object of our invention is to utilize tinuous unloading movement thereof, whereby the tension on the stitch will be uniform and even and will result in a better, more even and more uniform stitch.

Still another object of our invention isto pro vide in a device of the character specified a fastening or mounting member which will be formed in one piece with the bracket arms.-

Still another object of our invention is to provide a simpler, more ready and easier mounting means of the reel in the bracket and which will be independent of and-operable without movement of the regulating screw. p Still another object of our invention is to provide mounting members in which one of the arms will be pivoted to drop away from the bore of the reel to permit a more ready and easier mounting and renewal of the reels.

Still another object of our invention is in a dropping device of the type specified to provide a central and easily releasable locking member which will retain the pivotal part in proper tensioning position. I

Still another object of our invention is to initially apply regulated tension to such dropping member through a ball and socket connection on the locking member and thus again to increase 7 the area of tensioning contact between the parts.

With these and other objects in view, the invention comprises the combination of members and arrangement of parts so combined as to coact and cooperate with each other in the performance of the functions and the accomplishment of the results herein contemplated, and comprises in one of its adaptations the species or preferred form illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 is a view in plan of a bracket and reel mounted on a shaft of a Bonaz embroidery machine;

Fig.2 is a view in side elevation of the device shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a view observed in the plane of the line 3-3 of Fig. 2'looking in the direction of the arrows;

Fig. 4 is an enlarged section through the reel and adjacent parts showing our thread tensioning' spring-loop applied on the thread;

Fig. 5 is a View in section on the line 5-5 of Fig. '7 looking in the direction of the arrows and showing the bottom bracket arm with the latch member in closed position;

fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 showing the lower bracket arm with the latch, member in open or released position;

Fig. '7 is a section substantially on the line 'i-'i of Fig. 5' showing the bracket in reversed position with the reel mounted and locked therein with the latch member in closed position; Fig. 8 is a section similar to Fig. 7 showing the lower bracket arm lowered about its pivot to permit removal of the reel, the latch member being shown in section in unlatched position;

"1 Fig. 9 is an enlarged fragmentary view showing 'the latch in normal upright position and closed onits seat; and I e Fig. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary'section on the line 10-10 of Fig. 9.

Referring now to these drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of our invention, our reel holder bracket and reel are useful in a Bonaz embroidery machine or the like and, as shown, are mounted on a driven shaft l rotated by a driven gear 2 meshing with a drive gear 3 on a drive shaft 4. Upon rotation of the shaft I our reel bracket revolves about the axis thereof while the reel mounted therein dispenses thread during such revolving movement. Our invention provides a bracket, in which the reel may be readily and quickly mounted and demounted, and means on the bracket and reel which will greatly improve the tensioning of the thread during both a single turning movement of the bracket and reel as well as during such unwinding movements as will completely unwind the reel.

The preferred embodiment of our invention shown comprises a pair of bracket arms 5 and 5 connected together by an integral base plate I. An integral attaching or bracket-fasteningmemher 8 comprising an arcuate plate preferably fits the shaft 1 and is connected thereto bya suitable screw and aligning pins. In the preferred embodiment shown, the attaching member 8 is formed as a downwardly-extending integral plate on an extension portion 9 of the upper bracket arm 5. Said upper bracket arm, as illustrated, comprises a body portion having at one end a reel bearing portion liland at the opposite end a rearwardly extending bearing portion l l in a position radial to the axis of rotation of the reel and in this portion H is mounted one end of a screw-threadedpin l2, the other end of which is rotatably mounted in a fixed bracket portion of the lower arm which constitutes an integral rearwardly-extending foot-portion I2a of the base plate I. e The extension portion 9 preferably extends outwardly in alateral direction fromthe base plate I and has said attaching plate 8 arranged at the forwardedge thereof so as to lie in a substantially radial position to the reel and its bearings. This construction provides rigidity and strength for the upper bracket arm and with the fixed bracket portion'of the lower arm, provides'a strong frame for the bracket. The screwthreaded pin or spindle I2 is fastened at its lower end by screw I22) and provided atits upper end with a cooperating screw threadedpressure-regu lating nut 13 and a spring I 5 is mounted on the pin 12 and extends between the under surface M of the nut I3 and a ball-shaped sleeve l6 slidably mounted on said pin I 2. I I

The lower bracket arm 8 is composed of two sections, one of which comprises a section 6 pivoted intermediateits ends to swing about a pivot l'l mounted in the foot-portion l2a of the base plate I. Asshown, the other lowerbracket-arm section comprises said rearward foot-portion 12a of said base member and said base member is provided in its bottom portion with a cut-back aperture I B and also is provided at opposite sides of said cut-back aperture with bearings i9 and 20 for the pivot H, the parts being arranged so that the lower-bracket arm section 6' is adapted to swing downwardly or vertically upon pivot l1 through said cut-back aperture to engage and .to free the reel B'frorn engagement with upper and lower stub pivot-members 2i and 22 arranged ,inja pair on the bracket arms 5 and '6.

' flhes'e pivot members' .2I and 22 preferably comprise ball-shaped truncated stub-pivots or shafts fixedly mounted in the bracket arms and project only a relatively short distance into bracket arms. -shafts 2| and 22 preferably are hardened memof the reel B and also extend a short distance I above such sockets to space the reel from the These ball-shaped stub pivots or bers non-rotatably mounted in the outer ends of the opposite bracket members 5 and 6. The socketed cylinder 23 thus acts in combination with the stub shafts 2| and 22 to pivot the reel between the bracket-arms so as to permit rotation of the reel about its axis. The reel is also provided with conventional upper and lower 'flanges 25, extending from the cylinder or band 23 at a position in relation to the depth of the sockets 24 and 2411 as to avoid any contact ofthese flanges 25, 25 with the bracket arms 5 and 6 so that the only contact between the bracket arms 5 and 6 and the reel B will be .through the stub pivots 2| and 22 and the sockets 24 and 24a and consequently all pressure exerted on the reel through the bracket arms willbe exerted through said truncated ball-shaped members 2|22 on the walls of the sockets 24 and 24a respectively. The use of stub-pivots .or shafts 2| and 22 combined with shallow-bearing sockets 24 and 24a, instead of the long prior art spindles enables the reel to be removed by a relatively shallow dropping-away movement and itis, therefore, only necessary for the lower arm to move downwardly or drop a relatively short distance in order to permit the removal from the ,upper bracket of the reel.

Tensioning pressure to the reel B is, in the preferred form illustrated, applied through the lower bracket arm 6, and the lower bracket arm is-formed in two sections, one of which-comprises the fixed foot-portion |2a and the other a pivoted section which, as above described, moves .the pivoted section 6' of the bracket arm comprises the power-applying arm portion of a lever pivoted intermediate its ends on said pivot jand'having an upwardly-movable power arm portion 28 projecting at the opposite side thereof. -In the embodiment shown said upwardly-movable power arm 28' is provided with a pivoted vandhorizontally movable latch-member 28 preferably having a fragmentary ball socket 28a open at one edge and adapted upon pivotal movement to engage with and disengage from a position beneath and in operative contact with theballshaped sleeve I6 on the pin l2, so that in engaged position of the latch pressure of the spring |5 against the ball-shaped sleeve It will be transmitted through the ball socketed latch and will press downwardly on the power arm of the lever B and upwardly on the outer pressure-applying arm of the lever 6 comprising as aforesaid the pivoted section B of the bracket arm so as to force its stub-pivot 22 into pressure-applying relationship with the socket 24a in the reel B. It will thus be obvious that when the latch is in engaged position the bracket arm 6 willresiliently hold the reel in mounted rotatable'position so as to dispense thread therefrom,; and

sure through a flat surface by-the bracket arms, the pressure of the bracket arm will be applied through a relatively small circular area. about the axis of the reel only, thus avoiding the high spots and low spots in a single turning movement of the reel, and it will be obvious also that in view of the ball-shaped stub-pivots cooperating with the conicalsockets, pressure may be distributed evenly along a relatively small area adjacent to the axis of rotation, and that-notwithstanding this small area, the ball-shaped stubpivots will, by turning the nut l3 in opposite di rections be capable of transmitting strong frictional contact on the reel. It will also be obvious that when such resilient spring pressure is applied by a turning of the regulating nut 3 to compress the spring I5, the ball-sleeve will so transmit the pressure through the latch and its pivot to the short power end of the pivoted bracket arm 6 as to permit any desired tensioning pressure to be applied thereto. The ball :and socket joint between the ball sleeve and latch applies such regulatingpressure evenly, and the leverage is such that pressure on the latch will provide pressure through the ball-shaped pivots to the sockets at the axis of the reel, and in embodiments heretofore made of the device, the regulating pressure may be applied with such force as either to permit free rotation of the reel or to produce a tightening thereof,,so that no amount of pulling bythe thread would cause a movement thereof. 1

It'will be seen that the ball sleeve also forms a desirable method of applyin pressure from the spring I5 which surrounds the regulating pin I? to the latch member 28 because the spring |5 always contacts upon. a circumferential portion of theperiphery of the ball and the bottom of the ball sleeve is in contact with the ball-shaped wall of the socket so that the more pressure applied through the ball-shaped sleeve against the latch socket the greater will be the pressure applied to the ball-shaped stub-pivots and vice versa.

\ From the above it will be seen that we have provided a construction in which the tensioning pressure to the reel may be finely regulated to provide any given amount of tension that may be necessary during any unwinding movement thereof, and consequently we are enabled to provide for an even flow of the thread during an unwinding movement of the thread from the reel and also that the pressure of the bracket-on the reel may be regulated to compensate for the increasing pull or stress of the thread as it unwinds from the reel, due to the gradual decreasing in the radial distance between the peripheral surface of a full spool and a substantailly unwound spool. Also that we have provided a construction in which the areas of tensioning contact are constant and a wedging principle is employed so as to avoid high spots and low spots therebetween and which will enable a given amount of tension to be applied to the reel at all times during a single rotation thereof. Also that this wedging result is accomplished by the use of a projecting ball and a conical socket into which said ball is fitted and the location of this wedge-pressure applying bracket arm and reel socket close to the axis of rotation of the reel instead of 'on the reel flanges. Also that we have provided a construction in which by using stub-pivots we are enabled to provide for the removal of the reel by ashort downward dropping of one of the. arms .of the. bracket instead 'of a pressure dropping and pivotal swinging heretofore necessary to free the flanges ofthebracket.

In prior art devices it was always necessary during a single unloading or unwinding operation of the thread from the reel to manipulate the regulating nut a plurality and sometimes as many as four times, and the entire machine was necessarily stopped in order to permit such manipulation. By the use of our invention'we have been ableto avoid this expenditure of time and labor, first, by employing the method and means hereinabove described for applying an eflicient wedging pressure to the reel during a given portion of the unwinding movement there- 'of and, secondarily, by providing a new and separatemeans for applying pressure during anpther portion of the unwinding movement of the reel. Thus, in the'preferred embodiment of our invention, we manually apply the nut-regulated tension hereinabove described-for the tensioning bf approximately the final one-third of the complete-unwinding movement and have utilized an independent means for applying tension to the initial approximately two-thirds of said complete unwinding movement. For this purpose, we have mounted on the base member T a loopspring 30 embodying a loop portion 3! projectoutwardly toward the: axis of rotation of the thread wound'on said'reell The tension of this spring is adjusted and fixed to apply the initial tension necessary during the upwinding of approximately two-thirds of the thread from the reel, whereupon the nut-regulated tension of'the stub pivots in the sockets of the reel will be sufficient to satisfactorily tension the remaining one-third unwinding movement of the reel. The said fixed tensioning of the loop spring 30 is preferably accomplished by winding portions ad'- jacent to opposite ends into spirals 32 and 33 and mounting these spirals upon a spindle 34 mounted in a bearing bracket 35 which in turn is suitably mounted and fastened to the base member IL The terminal ends 36 and 31 of the spirals are brought together and bent into abutment with an edge of the bracket 35. Obviously, by adjustin the terminal portions of the spring 30 in relation to the edge of the bracket and tension of the'loop portion may be adjusted and increased or diminished in accordance with the requirements. Such tension, however, is preferably adjusted and fixed once and for all, and when so adjusted will be capable of tensioning the thread during unwinding of approximately two-thirds of the unwinding movement of the reel or thread. Nut-regulated spring tension applied to the reel as hereinabove described is preferably applied successively with saidloop tensioning and both may be set and fixed prior to the'start of operation of the machine so that no regulation is necessary between the beginning and end of the unwinding operation, and no stoppage of the machine is necessary as one tension automatically follows and supplements the other: Thus the nut-regulated tension is initially applied and though being in operation at all times will provide sufficient tension when the loop tension becomes weak during the last third of the unwinding movement of the reel or thread. We: are thus enabled, in one operation, to tension the thread throughout its entire unwinding movement and to avoid the expense and loss of operating time incident to the stoppage or. the machines from independent regulations,

reel and adapted to press directly against the second bracket arm being parallel with the first :arm and terminating within the base, a third bracket arm having a pivotal connection with said base adjacent one end thereof, the opposite end of said third arm being movable into transverse alignment with the end of said first arm, aligned stub pivots on correspondin ends of said first and third arms, sockets in said reel engageable with said pivots, and spring means supported by said rigid arms and operatively engageablewith said pivoted arm for normally holding same in parallel relation with the first arm while exerting pressure on the walls of said reel sockets.

2. A reel holding bracket and reel as set forth in claim 1, wherein said spring meansis supported on a screw threaded pin and a nut is mounted on said pin for adjusting said spring means. 7 V 3. A reel holding bracket and reel as set forth in claim 1, wherein the stub pivots are truncated ball-shaped in conformation and said sockets have conforming walls cooperating with said ball-shaped stub pivots.

4. A reel-holding bracket and reel for embroidery machines comprisinga base member, a pairof bracket arms extending outwardly therefrom, a stub pivot on each bracket arm, a reel having sockets into which the stub pivots extend and fit, one of said bracket arms'inclu'ding a rigid portion and a vertically-swingable lever memberpivoted intermediate its ends on a horizontal pivot'in the base member, and means supported by said bracket arms for applying pressure to the power end of said pivoted lever member 'to transmit such pressure to the stub pivots and reel sockets.

5. A reel-holding bracket and reel for embroidery machines comprising a base member, a pair of bracket arms extending outwardly therefrom, a stub pivot on each bracket arm, a reel having sockets into which the stub pivots extend and fit, one of said bracket arms having a portion comprising a vertically-swinging lever member pivoted intermediate its ends to swing about a horizontal pivot in the base member, means for applying pressure to the power end of said pivoted lever member to transmit such pressure to the stub pivots and reel sockets, said pressureapplying means comprising a screw-threaded spindle, a pressure-regulating nut on said screwthread of the spindle, a ball-shaped sleeve mounted on said spindle and having a releasable connection with said pivoted lever member and a spiral spring disposed between said nut and said sleeve.

6. A reel-holding bracket and reel for embroidery machines comprising a base member, a pair of bracket arms extending outwardly there- 'from', a stub pivot on each bracket arm, a reel having sockets into which the stub pivots extend and fit, one of said bracket arms having a portion comprising a vertically-swinging lever member pivoted intermediate its ends to swing about a horizontal pivot in the base member, means for applying pressure to the power end of said lever member to. transmit such pressure to the stub pivots and reel sockets, said pressure applying means-comprising a screw-threaded spindle, a pressure-regulating nut on said screw thread of the spindle, a ball-shaped sleeve on said spindle, a spiral spring disposed between said nut and said sleeve and a curved-wall socket on said pivoted lever member fitting said ball-shaped sleeve.

'7. A reel-holding bracket and reel for embroidery machines comprising a base member, a pair of bracket arms extending outwardly therefrom, a stub-pivot on each bracket arm, a reel having sockets into which the stub pivots extend and fit, one of said bracket arms comprising a vertically-swinging lever member pivoted intermediate its ends to swing about a horizontal pivot on the base member and having at its rear power end a latch for fastening said lever member in operative position, and means for applying pressure to the power end of said lever member to transmit such pressure to the stub pivots and reel sockets, said pressure-applying means comprising a screw-threaded spindle, a pressure-regulating nut on said screw-thread of the spindle, a ball-shaped sleeve on said spindle, and a spiral spring disposed between said nut and said sleeve.

8. A reel-holding bracket and reel for embroidery machines comprising a base member, a pair of bracket arms extending outwardly therefrom, a stub pivot on each bracket arm, a reel having sockets into which the stub pivots extend and fit, one of said bracket arms comprising a vertically-swinging lever member pivoted intermediate its ends to swing about a horizontal pivot in the base member and having at its rear end a latch, means for applying pressure to one end of said arm to transmit such pressure to the stub pivots and reel sockets, said pressure applying means comprising a screw-threaded spindle, a pressure-regulating nut on said screw thread of the spindle, a ball-shaped sleeve on said spindle, a spiral spring disposed between said nut and said sleeve, said latch having a socket engageable beneath said ball-shaped sleeve to provide a latching of said bracket arm and also to provide a pressure-receiving member through which resilient pressure is applied by said spring and regulating nut to said latch and to the rear end of said vertically swinging lever on which said latch is mounted.

JACK SNARCK HENRY LASTER.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 345,886 Cornely July 20, 1886 462,858 Deshayes Nov. 10, 1891 830,804 Cope Sept. 4, 1906 

